This is what we can expect from the press conference tonight
This is going completely wrong. You know it's serious business when the press conference is moved forward. So not on Tuesday, but today we are already being addressed by Mark Rutte. From the Torentje. That happened once before: at the beginning of this pandemic. So even then you know: shit has hit the fan.
Because things are not going well with all those infections. I don't even dare to look up how high that R-number is at the moment, but I suspect it's not even close to 1. Let alone below that... It is clear that a lot of stricter measures are on the way.
But holy shit, these measures — if the rumors are true — are a whole different ball game. At first, when this press conference was announced, I thought: okay fine, cinemas closed. Amusement parks closed. Secondary schools possibly closed or a week longer ‘vacation’, in other words, online classes at home. I could handle all of that. But that's just the beginning of all the new measures.
As always, some things leak out beforehand. My own theory is that this is done so we can mentally prepare ourselves a bit and it doesn't come as a shock when they are officially announced. But that mental preparation is becoming increasingly difficult for me personally. It's just mid-December and we are still in this corona crisis. The gloomy mood prevails for me today.
But okay, here they come, the new measures.
- Contact professions such as physiotherapy, massage salons, and hairdressers must close
- Non-essential shops must close
- Theaters and museums must also close
- Schools will also close
- A curfew has been discussed, but will not go ahead (the only silver lining)
- Preferably no visitors
- The measures will be in effect until January 19
Whether gyms will close is not explicitly mentioned, but I think that chance is quite present. I am also curious to what extent they will enforce the ‘preferably no visitors’ rule. Will it really be forbidden to have people over? Will anything be said about Christmas and New Year's? And I especially hope that a curfew will not suddenly be announced for New Year's, but according to the latest reports, fortunately, that is not the case.
Last but not least: the measures will come into effect tonight at midnight. This is done to prevent a last run on all shops.
